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Cobras continued their strong show in the second half of the Sunfoil Series to complete a 151-run win over Knights in Paarl inside three days

Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2017Cape Cobras‘ stunning second-half-of-the-season surge continued as they beat log-leaders Knights in Paarl to lie in second-place with one round to play. Cobras were last on the points table at the halfway stage, with little over half the points of their nearest rival, but have reeled off three wins in a row under new coach Ashwell Prince and new captain Dane Piedt, and are now serious title-contenders.On a juicy surface, Cobras chose to bat against the competition’s best attack and struggled to cope. Duanne Olivier (4 for 43) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (4 for 40) sliced through them to dismiss the hosts for 154 in 52.2 overs. Justin Ontong’s 38 was the top score with only four other batsmen getting into the 20s.Knights’ joy was shortlived, though. They finished the first day on 137 for 6 with wickets shared among four of Cobras’ frontlines including franchise debutant Kyle Simmonds. Things did not get easier for Knights on the second morning – they lost their last four wickets for 16 runs and were bundled out for 153, giving Cobras a one-run lead.Play was briefly interrupted by smoke from a nearby bush fire which allowed Cobras to compose themselves after they slipped to 22 for 2 in their second innings and they went on post the highest total of the match. Kolpak signings Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Vilas made 106 and 62 respectively and contributions in the 40s from Ontong and Jason Smith pushed their total over 300.Olivier was among the wickets again and finished the match with seven to extend his lead at the top of the bowling charts but Knights were given a tough target of 332 to win. With more than a day to play, time was on their side but Piedt had other ideas. He took 6 for 87, while Simmonds chipped in with the other four, to dismiss Knights for 180 on the third afternoon and dent their hopes of claiming the first-class cup.

Brisbane Heat were not completely reliant on Chris Lynn, but of course he was the star, marshalling a remarkable chase with 75 from 32 balls as the Sydney Thunder failed to defend 186 in driving – perhaps to the point of being hazardous – rain

The Report by Will Macpherson03-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Lynn followed his last two scores of 101* and 75 with another 75•Getty Images

Finally, four games too late, Brisbane Heat are underway, and their Big Bash League campaign is still alive. This time, they were not completely reliant on Chris Lynn, but of course he was the star, marshalling a remarkable chase with 75 from 32 balls as the Sydney Thunder failed to defend 186 in driving – perhaps to the point of being hazardous – rain.Throughout the Heat’s enthralling innings, the eyes of the batsmen flicked from the DLS calculations sheet, to the umpires, then finally to their own footing, with both Lynn and Nathan Reardon slipping at the crease. Life was tougher for the Thunder bowlers, whose interest lay with the front line (no amount of sawdust could ever be adequate in these conditions) and the ball, which was changed three times and was impossible to keep dry, like their own hands. The umpires, admirably putting the 27,507 spectators first, resisted the temptation to take the players off the field. They were rewarded with another blockbuster finish.Lynn, for once, came to the crease after a platform had been laid by Lendl Simmons and Jimmy Peirson. Michael Hussey – even shorn of the bowling of Jacques Kallis, who had earlier injured his back running between the wickets – had been confident enough to post a short leg, but the field had soon enough spread as Peirson timed pulls crisply, while Simmons sent Clint McKay handsomely over long-off for six. After the first five overs, the Heat were 0 for 45.The introduction of Fawad Ahmed’s spin put the brakes on slightly – impressive, given the troubles gripping the ball – and Simmons fell to Shane Watson’s first ball, opening the face and ramping straight to third man. Two overs later, Peirson was stumped off offspinner Chris Green, trying to accelerate, for a 36-ball 40.Never mind, leave that to Lynn. Fawad was drilled for six over long-on, before Watson’s return – when the Heat needed almost 13 an over – was brutally targeted. A full toss was sent to the midwicket fence and was followed by a cover-driven four and a brutally-pulled six.After Andre Russell had Reardon caught at short fine leg, the game was won with an outrageous assault from Lynn on Gurinder Sandhu’s return. The seamer was sent into the stands at midwicket, then long-on, before a top-edge earned four, and a six – the biggest of the lot – went into the top tier behind square. The over’s penultimate ball was skied but slipped through Kurtis Patterson’s hands at deep midwicket. The damage had been done, but Lynn still found time to flay Sandhu’s next over for 18 more.Australia name their limited-overs squads to face India (not to mention the World T20) in the coming days; Lynn and Sandhu, whose one wicket has cost 162 runs this tournament, are both hot property, but this face-off illustrated how wildly their fortunes have diverged this season. Lynn, surely, with his third straight score of 75 or more, is impossible for the selectors to ignore; he is concurrently top-order bat and finisher, and has hit more runs and more sixes than anyone else this tournament. Here, he fell in the penultimate over to a marvellous catch at long-on from Green, but Ben Cutting, who had been a canny ally at the death, saw them home comfortably.Earlier, the Thunder had recovered from a slow start thanks to fine innings from Watson and Hussey, as well as a cameo from Russell, to post a challenging total. Samuel Badree had Aiden Blizzard in all sorts of trouble and, in a sign that perhaps the Heat’s fortunes were changing, Josh Lalor finally got a wicket – Kallis no less – in his 13th over of the competition.Watson and Hussey came together to share an enterprising stand of 97 runs. Some lax running from the veterans did not matter; Watson hit five different bowlers for massive leg-side sixes, while Hussey took longer to get going, but eventually flicked James Hopes over square leg for a six of his own. Watson slapped Hopes to the sweeper cover, then Hussey fell with two overs remaining, allowing Russell to mass 20 off nine, including a huge top-edged six off Mark Steketee. He was run-out in the end, probably realising Thunder needed a few more. And so, thanks to Lynn, it proved.

Tom Moody has praised the efforts of Biplab Samantray and Hanuma Vihari in helping Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals on Friday night

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2013Tom Moody, Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach, was delighted with his team’s performance against Rajasthan Royals Friday night, and made special mention of Biplab Samantray and Hanuma Vihari.”I am very pleased. It was [an] extremely important game for us and after [the] early setback the team showed character as a playing group,” Moody said. “And more importantly, the two inexperienced and young cricketers [Samantray and Vihari] took us to a position where we could compete in the second half of the game.”Moody was also all praise for James Faulkner, who took 5 for 16 in his four overs, his second five-for of the season. “His bowling is exceptional. The great thing is his ability to move the new ball around. He also has the ability to bowl very good slow balls, and yorkers on command. When you have [these] three ingredients, it makes you [a] pretty useful bowler at any stage of the game.”Rahul Dravid, captain of Rajasthan Royals, has faced a tough last few days in the wake of the spot-fixing allegations that have surrounded his team. However, he chose not to use the ongoing drama as an excuse for Royals’ poor showing against Sunrisers. “We bowled well to restrict them to 136 but were probably a spinner light on the day,” Dravid said. “And while we were batting, Amit Mishra was fantastic for them, but we got bogged down in the middle overs.”Dravid hoped to play on less sluggish pitches in the playoffs. “In the playoffs we will be a lot better hopefully. We also hope for better wickets in the playoffs as we have struggled on slow, low ones.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has begun the process of setting up a Twenty20 league in the country by soliciting proposals for the creation of such a tournament from a number of companies, a board official has said

Umar Farooq and Tariq Engineer01-May-2012The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has begun the process of setting up a Twenty20 league in the country by soliciting proposals for the creation of such a tournament from a number of companies, a board official has said. Eight companies, including Ten Sports, Nimbus and Geo TV, have already made their pitches to the PCB, while another three are expected to do so this week.”The purpose of the sessions was to hear the ideas and concepts and each one came with in-depth studies,” Subhan Ahmed, the board’s chief operating officer, told ESPNcricinfo. “We have no fixed ideas, and are being open minded, but one thing we know is that we do not want a clone of the IPL or BPL. Our product won’t resemble the conventional type of league and even the name won’t be the Pakistan Premier League (PPL).”Ahmed said the board would evaluate all the proposals once the presentation process ends next week. The board is believed to want to hold the tournament in October, but security concerns could force them to adjust their dates. No international cricket has been played in Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009 and the possibility of having international players participate would depend largely on the level of security provided for the tournament.Ahmed said the board has informed the government of their plans at a preliminary level and that they have been assured of the government’s support in this regard, but a detailed security plan will only be put together once the structure of the league has been determined.
“Let things be chalked out and then we will take the government on board at a higher level for the detailed security plan for the event.”He also said that there are parties who have offered to bring in “foreign players as a part of their support to Pakistan”.The PCB is keen to launch a league of its own because there is plenty of interest from the business community in the country. “They understand how much money is involved in it and they are ready to invest and endure the cost of such a league,” Ahmed said. “So realistically there is less of a chance that we have to look outside Pakistan to generate money for the event.”The concept of a T20 league in Pakistan was first raised by former PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf who wanted to launch a league to rival the IPL in 2009. However, the idea was dropped after then president Pervez Musharraf was removed from power. Pakistan players were part of the inaugural IPL in 2008 but have not played in the tournament since the terrorist attack on Mumbai later in the same year.

England’s bowlers hit back on the first day in Cardiff after Sri Lanka had set a solid base through their openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan26-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Anderson appeals for the caught-behind of Kumar Sangakkara•Getty Images

Sri Lanka’s openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana, gave their team a solid start to the first Test in Cardiff before England’s bowlers hit back on a truncated day. The pair added 93 for the first wicket after play was delayed until mid-afternoon by regular showers, but Dilshan couldn’t build on his half-century and Kumar Sangakkara also departed in somewhat controversial circumstances when the DRS became involved.Graeme Swann provided the first breakthrough and James Anderson was in the middle of a testing spell when England appealed for a Sangakkara edge behind but Aleem Dar turned down the shout and Andrew Strauss was quick to use the DRS. The decision rested on a combination of a noise and a faint mark halfway up the bat as the ball scooted past the edge. Rod Tucker, the third umpire, relayed that information and Dar overturned his decision.Sri Lanka’s opening partnership was their best in England, a place where touring sides often struggle against the new ball especially at this time of the year. They were also unfortunate that the dry, warm start to the summer ended on cue for the first day, but one of the main bonuses of Sri Lanka’s successful warm-up period was the form of the top two. Dilshan and Paranavitana both hit hundreds against Middlesex and England Lions in stands worth 209 and 200. In that sense, England did well to separate them for 93. A solid start here was vital, too, because Sri Lanka have a lengthy tail after opting for a five-man attack which, after a late change of heart, included two spinners.Strauss hadn’t been unhappy to lose the toss, especially when another shower meant an awkward 70-minute session before tea, but it soon became clear there wasn’t going to be a huge amount of help for the quick bowlers. There wasn’t much early swing for Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled too short, reinforcing the feeling he is short of rhythm after just two Championship matches for Nottinghamshire and his injury-hit winter.As was to be expected there were the occasional alarms for the openers but they judged well what to leave and what to play to build the frustrations for the bowlers. Against his natural instincts Dilshan was restrained in the 16 overs before tea except for a flash against Anderson and a strong cut off Broad as he passed 4000 Test runs. Paranavitana was impressively solid and alert to the quick singles although was on the receiving end of two big appeals from England.The first was for a catch down the leg side which always sounded more like pad, but the second got Anderson excited as Paranavitana was squared up and the ball taken at first slip. Billy Doctrove was proved right, though, as the ball had flicked the batsman’s hip and Strauss had been wise to keep the DRS up his sleeve. The England captain is becoming a good judge of when to use the system. However, Paranavitana was never flustered and adjusted impressively for a man playing his first Test outside the subcontinent.After tea Dilshan came out playing more shots although England’s bowlers did find the edges of both batsmen without anything reaching the slips. Chris Tremlett produced a probing spell that began to build some pressure and one delivery reared past Dilshan’s edge even though he was largely negated by a slow pitch.Swann had been brought on in the 27th over and while he couldn’t produce a first-over strike he was in the action in his fourth. At the start of the over Dilshan reached fifty from 92 balls, but three balls later dragged into his stumps as he tried to force through the off side. England sensed their chance for a late push and Anderson’s short battle with Sangakkara promised more for the series ahead.Paranavitana remained firm during the closing overs and brought up a hard-working and hugely valuable fifty from 145 balls when he cut Tremlett for his fifth boundary. With Mahela Jayawardene for company plenty of hard work remains for England’s bowlers.

In an era when several players of his ilk are contemplating giving up Test cricket to prolong their careers, Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling sensation Mohammad Aamer has said that the longest version is the gold standard for him

Cricinfo staff04-Jun-2010In an era when several players of his ilk are contemplating giving up Test cricket to prolong their careers, Pakistan’s latest fast-bowling sensation Mohammad Aamer has said that the longest version is the gold standard for him. “Test cricket is the real deal. I enjoy Twenty20 matches and one-dayers, but Test cricket is the number one priority for me,” Aamer told www.PakPassion.net.Aamer burst onto the Test scene during Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka last year and was impressive during the forgettable tour of Australia, where he picked a five-wicket haul in the Melbourne Test. He looks forward to having another go at the Australians in England later this year. “I’m very excited about the series in England; I cannot wait to face the hosts, and especially Australia,” he said. “Pakistan start afresh against the Aussies and the previous series in Australia will be wiped from our minds.”The 18-year old seamer is eager to play as much as possible, and is not concerned about breathers in between tight schedules. “I don’t like being rested for any matches. I want to play all of the time. I’m a young guy, I feel strong, I feel fit and I don’t want to be rested. However I can understand the need for rest, but only want to be rested for dead rubbers.”Aamer’s early exploits have already led to comparison to Pakistan’s fast bowling greats, one of whom is his coach in the national side. Aamer is eager to pick up some tricks from Waqar Younis. “I enjoy working with Waqar, but its early days in our relationship, and I look forward to learning further from him. It’s great that I can spend an extended period of time with him in the coming season when Pakistan has a lot of cricket,” he said. “One area of my bowling for improvement that Waqar has mentioned to me is to get closer to the stumps, which will bring more lbws into the game for me.”

He became the third member of India’s squad, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to bow out of the format after the Barbados final

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2024Ravindra Jadeja has become the third senior cricketer to retire from T20 internationals at the end of India’s triumphant run at the T20 World Cup 2024. Following the announcements from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Jadeja “bid farewell” to the format through a post on his Instagram account.”With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals,” Jadeja wrote a day after India’s win over South Africa in a thrilling World Cup final in Bridgetown. “Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats.Related

• Rohit Sharma joins Kohli in retiring from T20Is after World Cup triumph

• Kohli retires from T20 internationals after winning World Cup title

“Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support.”Jadeja retires after 74 T20I appearances, including every match in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. He didn’t have too big a role to play at the World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, though, facing just 22 balls in five innings, in which he scored 35 runs, and sending down 14 overs, picking up one wicket at an economy rate of 7.57. Overall, Jadeja has 54 wickets in the format at an economy of 7.13 and 515 runs at a strike rate of 127.16.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jadeja, 35 is a much-decorated player in the IPL, where he has won four titles, three with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and one, in the inaugural season in 2008, with Rajasthan Royals (RR), which was before he had made his international debut which came in 2009.One of a handful of cricketers who have been part of all three international sides for India for a while now, Jadeja will continue to be available for Tests and ODIs, where he has turned out 72 and 197 times respectively. In Tests, he has 3036 runs (average of 36.14) and 294 wickets (24.13), and in ODIs, he has 2756 runs (32.42) and 220 wickets (36.07), and is considered one of the finest all-round fielders in the world.

NSW lead by 341 runs but a thrilling final day is in prospect thanks to a bold declaration from Lehmann following his unbeaten century

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff16-Mar-2023An audacious declaration from South Australia’s Jake Lehmann and a career-best score for New South Wales opener Ryan Hackney has brought the final-round Sheffield Shield match at Karen Rolton Oval to life on day three.On a docile pitch that had produced just 16 wickets in eight sessions, Lehmann declared South Australia’s first innings closed at 309 for 7, 138 runs in arrears of the visitors, just after posting his ninth first-class century.The Blues took up the baton in the final session thumping 203 for 2 off just 42 overs for a lead of 341. Hackney led the way in his fifth Shield match, ending the day unbeaten on 98 not out. After also scoring a half-century in the first innings, he struck 13 boundaries and a six in his 115-ball knock. Debutant opener Blake MacDonald also made 61 as the inexperienced pair added 143 for the first wicket.Ollie Davies helped the scoring along in the final half-hour with a whirlwind 31 off just 24 balls.Earlier, South Australia scored at just over three runs an over before declaring when their 100-over bonus point period ended.Lehmann impressed with an unbeaten 101, clocking up 13 boundaries in his 178-ball stay at the crease. Daniel Drew was more sedate during his four-and-half-hour innings of 85.Experienced paceman Chris Tremain and first-gamer Ryan Hadley both picked up 3 for 75 for the Blues. The inexperienced NSW side must collect victory in Adelaide to avoid a winless campaign for the first time in a 10-match season, while South Australia are seeking to hold off Tasmania and finish fourth.

He has had a breakout series after stepping in for the injured Nortje, and has now been picked in South Africa’s ODI squad

Firdose Moonda17-Jan-2022Marco Jansen is a man of few words, until he steps onto a cricket field.”I am a bit of an introvert but when I’m on the field, that’s the one place where I want to express myself,” he said, after his first stint as an international player. “All those emotions just show the passion and love I have for the game. If there is one place where I feel I can show my passion and emotions, it’s on the field.”Not only will Jansen’s debut series be remembered for being the most successful by a South African seamer in a three-match contest, but also for the exchange he had with his Mumbai Indians team-mate Jasprit Bumrah at the Wanderers. South Africa were going after the Indian tail in an attempt to ensure the target was as low as possible, Jansen bounced Bumrah several times and then sprayed him with unpleasantries.At one point the two were eye to eye (or rather Jansen was looking down at Bumrah, who is a foot shorter than him) and there was the threat of something more serious happening but Jansen backed off while Bumrah smirked. Turns out, it was all just fun and games. “I played with Bumrah in the IPL. We are good friends but sometimes on the field things get heated,” Jansen said. “You’re playing for your country so you are not going to back down for anyone, and he did the same. There’s no hard feelings, it was just in the heat of the moment, two players, giving their all for the country.”For Jansen, being able to represent the nation has come a little quicker than he thought it would. Despite spending most of 2021 as a non-playing member on South Africa’s Test tours (to Pakistan and West Indies), in a squad with seven specialist seamers, he thought he would have to bide his time. “I have been in the Test squad previously but I didn’t expect it (to play). I was hopeful that I would get picked,” he said.His first outing, at SuperSport Park, did not go as planned after he went wicket-less for 18.2 overs and appeared to struggle with his lengths. “I didn’t start the way I wanted to. I was very, very nervous. It’s normal for every player to get nervous,” he said.Marco Jansen has had a breakout series after stepping in for Anrich Nortje•AFP via Getty Images

Then, he took the wicket of none other than Bumrah, who edged to third slip. Jansen bowled 85 more overs in the series and took 18 for 244, including a best of 4 for 31. He showed the advantage of variation but also the importance of height to extract awkward bounce off the South African surfaces. “I’m really glad that after that innings, I came back and contributed to the team,” he said.Now, he has a new challenge. With Anrich Nortje still out of action because of a persistent hip injury, Jansen has been included in the ODI squad. He has just 13 List A caps and has not played in the format for almost two years, since March 2020, so once again, he isn’t quite sure he will get game time. “This is a call up I did not expect,” he said. “I’m very glad and honoured to be selected in the squad. I just want to go there and try to learn as much as possible and if I get an opportunity, hopefully I’ll grab it with both hands.”Jansen’s inexperience extends across white-ball formats. He has also made just 13 T20 appearances but two of them have been at the IPL. That’s the tournament that brought Jansen to the fore. He was part of the Mumbai Indians outfit and took his twin brother Duan, also a left-arm seamer, currently playing for North West, with him to the tournament. “We know everything about each other and he is my best friend. It’s weird in some way that we are basically the same player,” Jansen said. “He came along as a net bowler. He practiced with us. And he also learnt a few things from us as well. It was a great experience for him and for us to experience that together. We never would have thought we would be sitting here, both of us, playing the sport we love.”While it may seem like it now, things didn’t always come easy for Jansen. He remembers “back at high school, especially, I didn’t play nearly as well. I didn’t even get picked for sides.” Think about that and everything you’ve seen of him over the last few weeks and it may leave you at a loss for words too.

Captain bats for four-and-a-half hours to deny Gloucestershire

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2020Glamorgan were grateful for the second successive game to their captain Chris Cooke, whose unbeaten half-century carried his side to a draw against Gloucestershire.Glamorgan had slipped to 138 for 8, a lead of only 73 with plenty of overs remaining, but Cooke was at the crease for four-and-a-half hours in compiling 59, and was given solid support by No.10 Tim van der Gugten, who was 30 not out.They survived despite the sterling efforts of Gloucestershire’s two left-arm seamers David Payne and Matt Taylor, who excelled throughout – with Payne taking eight wickets in the match. Glamorgan had a lead of 132 with 13 overs remaining when the teams shook hands.Had the first day not been lost to rain, there could have been an interesting finish as the ball dominated the bat throughout, with still plenty in the pitch for the seamers while the odd ball turned.Glamorgan began the final day 65 runs behind and with all their wickets intact, but Matt Taylor soon got to work by taking two wickets in his opening two overs. Charlie Hemphrey, whose place must now be in doubt after scoring only 72 runs in six completed innings, was out lbw.He was quickly followed by Kiran Carlson, who was dismissed in similar fashion, as he shuffled across his stumps to a ball that came back into him. The two wickets had fallen without any addition to the overnight score.Nick Selman stood firm, alternating between attack and defence, and was developing a useful partnership with Billy Root, one of the few Glamorgan batsmen who has been in any sort of form this season. But after scoring 13, Root was out to one of the slip catches of the season, taken by George Hankin at second slip.Root dabbed at a delivery intended for the third man area, before it was intercepted by the fielder who dived to his right and held on in front of first slip.Selman, who also been short of runs this season, completed a responsible half-century, but after adding a further five runs was leg before to Ryan Higgins, in what was the last ball before lunch as play was interrupted by a heavy shower.When Payne dismissed Dan Douthwaite and Graham Wagg in quick succession, and Kieran Bull was bowled by Graham van Buuren in his first over, Glamorgan had slumped to eight down, but van der Gugten, who the previous day had dislocated his finger, gave his captain staunch support.He joined his captain in the 67th over, to remain there for a further 24 overs as Gloucestershire’s hopes receded.